


Senior Citizen

by eowynjedi



Category: Final Fantasy V
Genre: Community: ff_land, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-30
Updated: 2013-06-30
Packaged: 2017-12-16 14:48:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/863245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eowynjedi/pseuds/eowynjedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Either Galuf is too old, or the other Light Warriors are too young. Written for the "At My Age" challenge at FF Land.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Senior Citizen

Galuf winced as he felt the day dawn. No matter how much he wanted to sleep late, some switch in his body always flipped as soon as the sun started inching up over the horizon, bringing with it a folk quartet of hurt. First his calf muscle screeched in agony, then his back ached when he sat up, whatever side he'd been lying on creaked from bearing his weight all night, and every joint in his body clicked like canastas when he tried putting them to use.

He groaned with each hurt as it presented itself and glowered at his three friends, sleeping like the babies they were. That was just plain unfair. He braced his hands on his knees to lever himself upright from the bedroll and ratcheted up the volume: " _OWWW-woo-ooh-ooh!_ " That, to his satisfaction, made the pirate's eyes pop open.

"Hell's bells, you old windbag!" he--she--snarled, throwing off her blankets and grabbing the nearest thing she had to hand, which happened to be a boot. It sailed through the air, but Galuf caught it neatly. "You sound like a dying whale!"

"What!" Galuf pointed the boot at her accusingly. "How dare you! I bust my keister keeping you greenhorns alive every day and you've got the nerve to complain about it?" Lenna's touseled pink head rose at their argument, and she blinked muzzily. "Some friends you are!"

"Gimme my boot back," Faris said, getting up and snatching it. "Sorry to wake ye, Lenna, but I've got a few things to sort out with the geezer."

"Oh, Faris, don't call him that. Galuf, do you need a potion?"

"I'm pleased to see that someone around here cares," Galuf said, crossing his arms archly. "It's not something potions can help, alas."

Faris yanked on his boots and grabbed his headband to tie back his tangle of hair. "Nope. White magic can't make you less old."

"You laugh. Pretty soon you're going to be waking up just like me, my lad--lass. And I hope when you do, you'll have a smartmouthed ingrate there to make you regret it!"

"Hah!" Faris barked. "I doubt I'll live so long as to deteriorate like you--oy, Bartz!" The lad poked his head into the tent, admitting the scent of woodsmoke. "Oh, you're already started?"

"I heard you three were up," he said with an easy grin. Galuf stared at his face and scratched his head as deja vu hit him for what had to be the thousandth time--a new thought joined it now. What would that face look like in twenty years? "We've still got some sausages left, and that cheese we got back in Walse. How's that sound to you?"

They sat around the fire to eat. Galuf claimed the two-foot-high treestump, not perfect but certainly better than sitting on his rump in wet grass. Lenna always refused to take a good spot if there was only one, claiming that she liked the feeling of morning dew, Faris wouldn't take it if she didn't, and Bartz didn't even seem to notice if his bum got wet. That was fine with Galuf. He wolfed down the food and started to stretch gingerly as much as he could sitting down, working out the aches in his muscles. Oh, what he would honestly give to lop ten years off of--of--whatever the hell his age really was. "You all mark my words," he said out loud. "Before you young rips know it, you're going to start each day with a big bowl of hurt."

"You said that already, old man."

Galuf stared at Faris, putting a blank look on his face. "What are you talking about? I don't remember saying anything like that!"

"Galuf, you say it every single day," Lenna laughed.

He shook his head. "Do I? I really don't know... I'm sure I'd remember it if you striplings ever paid it any heed."


End file.
